Almost half the shots in any round of golf are putts, so little wonder that a love-hate relationship develops with the 'short stick', sometimes leading to affectionate nicknames. Bobby Jones called his ‘Calamity Jane’; Ben Crenshaw became famous with his ‘Little Ben’; Jack Nicklaus had his 'White Fang'. And although Arnold Palmer never nicknamed his beloved putter, variations on the classic blade style have accounted for more Major wins than any other design.

This enduring model has been given a technological makeover for 2010 by the innovative folk at UK-based Spherical Blade, in the shape of its superbly sleek S-Blade Ltd Edition Classic – a stunning new putter that will appeal to discerning golfers and nostalgia buffs.

Not just a pretty face... patented curved-face technology and precision milling
bring
21st century benefits of forgiveness to a classic design

With a distinctive all-black shaft and black, milled steel head the Ltd Edition Classic (also known in S-Blade’s new 2010 collection as Blackeye 5) features a traditional scooped back and goose neck hosel but incorporates S-Blade’s revolutionary patented curved-face technology.

Gentle north-south and east-west curves create a subtly convex putter face, which has been proven in laboratory tests in 2008, using a robot putting arm at the renowned Quintic Consultancy, to impart increased roll on the golf ball and reduce skidding and bobbling, compared to some of the most well-known and established putter brands on the market.

The combination of this cutting edge technology and proven classic design has resulted in a putter with outstanding performance, looks and feel and a celebration of the design of the great Wilson 8802 used by Arnold Palmerand Ben Crenshaw, and Jack Nicklaus’s George Low Sportsman 600.

Ian Smith, managing director of Spherical Blade, says: “The S-Blade Limited Edition Classic has been inspired by the world’s most famous and successful putter designs.

“These great traditional shapes have fallen out of favour in recent years because of the move to larger headed putters with a much higher forgiveness on off-centre strikes, but their track record speaks volumes.

“The soft sculpting and milled face make the Ltd Edition Classic a joy to use. The feel is exceptional and while a classic blade may not be as forgiving as some modern putters, the addition of our curved face technology has given this ageless design more forgiveness than Jack, Arnie or Ben ever enjoyed.”

The S-Blade Ltd Edition Classic putter is available with a choice of five grips, a leather/neoprene headcover and can be custom fit for length from 30-36 inches. Available from Pro shops and selected retailers, the RRP is £129.